Bill Gates said today that Microsoft is planning on releasing a beta of …

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The summer of beta mania at Microsoft looks like it will be adding another public debut, this time in the form of Internet Explorer 7. At the annual RSA Conference today, "Chief Software Architect" Bill Gates said that a new version of Internet Explorer is coming down the pipe, but it won't be available to everyone. The next iteration, rather, will only be developed for Windows XP SP2. Thus sayeth the press release:

Building on those advancements, Gates announced Internet Explorer 7.0, designed to add new levels of security to Windows XP SP2 while maintaining the level of extensibility and compatibility that customers have come to expect. Internet Explorer 7.0 will also provide even stronger defenses against phishing, malicious software and spyware. The beta release is scheduled to be available this summer.

Why are we talking about it today? Because our customers and partners have asked us, with increasing urgency, what our plans are. We want to convey our intentions to our customers and partners clearly and in a timely way.

I?ve gotten questions about the ship date. Yes, we have a date in mind. I?ll talk about the date after we get feedback from customers and partners. We?re going to release a beta and listen, then refresh the beta and listen some more. We?ll ship when the product is ready.

The blog also noted that Microsoft is listening to Windows 2000 customers and considering the technical aspects of the possibility of bringing IE7 to that OS. Windows 2000 is still more common than Windows XP in large corporate environments, but a new version of Internet Explorer could be the carrot needed to adorn the upgrade stick.

Aside from promising more security against malware, phishing, and other exploits, no additional details were announced. One presumes that the long-standing list of annoying bugs in IE will finally be addressed (CSS, transparent PNG, peekaboo, etc.), but will we see tabbed browsing or mouse gestures? Few know for certain, and they're not talking. We don't expect any major interface changes, however.

The announcement is the culmination of Microsoft's reversal of views on Internet Explorer. The company was once adamant that there would be no significant changes to IE before the introduction of Longhorn, but those promises were made at a time when the company thought Longhorn would already be finished by now. Last summer Microsoft surprised everyone by reconvening the Internet Explorer team, and we've already seen some of the fruits of their labors in the form of the minor enhancements that came with SP2, e.g., pop-up blocking.

In related news, Gates also announced that Windows Antispyware will be free for use, and updates will additionally remain free.

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Ken Fisher
Ken is the founder & Editor-in-Chief of Ars Technica. A veteran of the IT industry and a scholar of antiquity, Ken studies the emergence of intellectual property regimes and their effects on culture and innovation. Emailken@arstechnica.com//Twitter@kenfisher